In the all-American final of the WTA 500 tournament in Guadalajara, Iva Jovic defeated Peyton Stearns 6:4, 6:2, successfully defending her title. This marks the 18-year-old’s second career WTA trophy, and she captured the tournament in incredibly dominant fashion—without dropping a single set throughout the entire week.
Peyton Stearns only managed to offer significant resistance during the first set, where both players battled intensely for dominance. In the second set, Stearns completely stalled, her game unraveled, and Jovic fully capitalized on the situation to easily and routinely close out the match and lift the championship trophy.
Novak Djokovic’s Advice as the Key to Success
Following her convincing victory, the young champion revealed a highly interesting detail about the background of her success in Mexico during the press conference. Jovic stated that she was in constant contact with Novak Djokovic throughout the entire tournament. The 24-time Grand Slam champion regularly sent her specific tactical advice on how to improve her game and adapt to her opponents, which clearly paid dividends given her flawless performance on the court.
Final Match Statistics
Jovic played a fantastic match on her serve. An astonishing statistic from the final is that Stearns failed to earn a single break point opportunity (0/0) during the entire match. On the other hand, Jovic consistently applied pressure on the return and successfully converted 3 of her 5 break point chances.
| Statistic | Peyton Stearns (USA) | Iva Jovic (USA) |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 3 |
| 1st Serve In % | 57% | 54% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 62% (18/29) | 77% (24/31) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 55% (12/22) | 62% (16/26) |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won | 23% (7/31) | 38% (11/29) |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won | 38% (10/26) | 45% (10/22) |
| Break Points Saved | 2/5 (40%) | 0/0 (0%) |
| Break Points Converted | 0/0 (0%) | 3/5 (60%) |
| Total Points Won | 44% (47/108) | 56% (61/108) |
For a complete overview of the tournament draw and a detailed analysis of all matches, be sure to visit our central WTA 500 Guadalajara Open 2026 Guide.
